WOLVES' run of form continued with a 1-0 home win against Preston North End.

IN any walk of life, the ability to make a little go a long way is a precious commodity.

And so for Wolves, making three goals from four games accrue a healthy total of 10 points is profitable work indeed.

They may not at present be winning any marks for artistic impression.

But those demanding concrete assurances of entertainment would be better advised to sticking to Strictly Come Dancing or the X-Factor on a Saturday night rather than pitching up at Molineux a few hours earlier.

In terms of trying to win football matches amid the unforgiving hustle and bustle of the Championship, then forget your celebrity strutters or pop wannabes - pin your vote on Wolves.

For the second successive home game, and to be fair plenty more besides this season, Mick McCarthy's men didn't quite find their rhythm.

But once again it didn't matter, because thanks to the firm foundations of a fifth consecutive clean sheet, it only needed one second half burst from Karl Henry to swing the pendulum decisively Wolves' way.

Henry, stand-in captain with both Gary Breen and Jody Craddock absent, has become very much a tangible symbol of McCarthy's Wolves.

Honest, hard-working, full of integrity, and never afraid to grasp the nettle if required.

An early flourish apart, Wolves were in danger of losing their way by the time in the 55th minute he latched onto Freddy Eastwood's lay-off and set off for goal.

Just a couple of seconds later he had despatched a drilled shot beyond Andy Lonergan in Preston's goal for his second of the season.

There were several nervous moments thereafter, notably via Preston's substitutes as Neil Mellor forced Wayne Hennessey into a decent save and Andy Carroll flashed a couple of efforts wide, the last in the second minute of injury time.

But Wolves survived, despite for long periods having laboured, with the absence of Michael Kightly's direct running such a miss when it comes to McCarthy's desire for high-tempo 'up-and-at-em' football.

Substitute Matt Jarvis provided some momentum late on and Stephen Ward continues to improve on the opposite flank but Wolves' other starting midfielders, for all their qualities, are just not that Kightly type of player.

And yet there were no indications of the low-key fare to follow after a blistering opening five minutes which brought Molineux to its feet.

First Eastwood hit the woodwork for the third time in three starts, then Preston's Gary Chilvers had a header disallowed for offside before Wolves broke again and Eastwood was this time denied by Lonergan.

Eastwood, whose lofty status amongst the Wolves fanbase left McCarthy grateful it was he who missed the chances, is surely just that lick of paint from embarking on a scoring run and how he would have enjoyed the almost open goal which Davidson squandered for the visitors in the 16th minute.

Wolves too will presumably stumble upon their shooting boots again soon, but in the meantime one defeat in 13 and a position of third in the table just two points off automatic promotion will do very nicely.

Recently appointed Preston boss Alan Irvine had been hoping to mark his third game in charge just as predecessor Paul Simpson had last season - with a first win at Molineux.

Ultimately it was more recent history - namely "1-0 to the Wolves" - which prevailed..